Anyone who knows me knows how much I love nude shoes. In fact, even those who have only met a handful of times have asked me ‘Priyanka, what’s this fascination with nude shoes? And how many do you own?’ The answer is ‘you have no idea’. My husband has asked me several times ‘how many pairs of skin coloured shoes does a girl need?’ I have told him to stop being so critical. When my children see a pair of nude heels in a shoe store they usually say ‘Mama, this looks like a pair of shoes you would like’ – I’ll give them points for noticing.

Where did this – dare I say obsession – begin? As always, the source of all problems is your parents. I’d like to blame this one on my mother. Let me pause and tell you that my mother is my bestie, bff, soul sister etc. you get my drift. Growing up, I heard my mother saying time and time again ‘I don’t wear dark shoes’. I have to admit, in true teenage fashion, I thought she was strange but the thought has stuck with me since. Fast forward a few years…I am unable (yes unable) to wear dark shoes, unless we’re in the dead of winter and it’s over a pair of dark tights. In all other seasons, it’s only nude, metallic and white shoes, not the church wedding type white shoes. In fact, I have added nude shoes to my husband’s shoe collection as well as that of my boys. OCD? Maybe a touch.

I look around me and see there has been a nude shoe movement happening over the last few years. Christian Louboutin recently expanded his spectrum of nude shoes, next year the brand will offer seven different colours of nude shoes to accommodate the variation in skin tones across the world. Thank you and it was about time! People, I have (or my mother has) been saying this all along. When I see women wear nude shoes, it gives me some secret joy, like they listened to my advice. So what if I had nothing to do with it?

Here are just some of the benefits of owning nude shoes:

Nude shoes elongate you, giving the illusion of a taller you.
They go with everything. Absolutely everything.
Always appropriate. Always classy. Always elegant.
Timeless. They will never go out of style.
It’s like being barefoot, only in heels or flats.

Need I say more?

I have converted scores of my friends and colleagues into going nude. Do me a favour, please go buy a pair and experience the magic for yourself. And you can thank me later.